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It seemed that when Lonesome George died in June, that was it for Chelonoidis
abingdoni. Now there are hopes that Pinta, the Galapagos island where he
spent so many chaste years, could once more be home to tortoises very like
him.

Scientists from Yale University have found 17 tortoises with DNA like George’s
on Isabela, 37 miles from Pinta. If a further search finds enough similar
animals, Ecuador plans to breed them and reintroduce them to Pinta.

Even if George had lived to see it, Henry Nicholls, George’s biographer,
doubts that he would have helped much with the repopulation programme.